“It’s been signed by the developer. It’s been signed by the tribe. It’s my understanding that…the agreement that’s before the council will not be changed," says Wallace.

The Lansing city council is expected to hold 2 community meetings on the casino deal in the coming weeks. The council will vote on the deal by the end of March.

After that, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians will request approval from the federal government for the tribe to acquire the land for a casino. That is expected to spark a legal fight from other tribes that operate casinos in Michigan.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe already operates five casinos in the Upper Peninsula and previously owned the Greektown casino in Detroit.

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Plans call for a $245 million American Indian casino in downtown Lansing that backers say could create about 2,200 jobs.

The Lansing State Journal, the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News report that the Kewadin casino would be built near the Lansing Center and owned by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Mayor Virg Bernero says it would improve the viability of the convention center and fund scholarships for Lansing public school students. The 125,000-square-foot facility would offer up to 3,000 slot machines and 48 gambling tables.